Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Role of SST meridional structure in coupling the Kelvin and Rossby waves of the intraseasonal oscillation

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Theoretical and Applied Climatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) is one of the most important modes of the tropical atmosphere, which influences global livelihood of hundreds of millions of people. The meridional structure of sea surface temperature (SST) has been found to be important for the ISO simulation in general circulation models (GCMs). Using a theoretical frictional skeleton model for the ISO, we investigate the effects of different SST structures on the ISO in this study. The model results show that the observed Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO), boreal summer ISO (BSISO) and quasi-biweekly oscillation can be simulated in this model with different SST structures. The Ekman pumping of the boundary layer associated with equatorially trapped SST favors the growth of eastward propagating Kelvin waves and prefers the fast eastward propagating signal. A broad SST provides a strong instability source for the Rossby waves, which will slow down the MJO. In the boreal summer, the high SST center in the off-equatorial region can trigger strong off-equatorial moisture pumping from the boundary layer, which enhances the Rossby waves and can simulate the northwest-southeast tilted rain band associated with the BSISO. When the Rossby component overwhelms the Kelvin component, the low-frequency westward component of the BSISO and the higher-frequency quasi-biweekly oscillation can be simulated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  • Annamalai H, Sperber K (2005) Regional heat sources and the active and break phases of boreal summer intraseasonal (30–50 day) variability*. J Atmos Sci 62:2726–2748

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boos WR, Kuang Z (2010) Mechanisms of poleward propagating, intraseasonal convective anomalies in cloud system-resolving models. J Atmos Sci 67:3673–3691

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frierson DM, Majda AJ, Pauluis OM (2004) Large scale dynamics of precipitation fronts in the tropical atmosphere: a novel relaxation limit. Commun Math Sci 2:591–626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu X, Wang B (2009) Critical roles of the stratiform rainfall in sustaining the Madden-Julian oscillation: GCM experiments*. J Clim 22:3939–3959

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendon HH, Salby ML (1994) The life cycle of the Madden-Julian oscillation. J Atmos Sci 51:2225–2237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu P-c, Li T (2012) Role of the boundary layer moisture asymmetry in causing the eastward propagation of the Madden-Julian oscillation*. J Clim 25:4914–4931

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang X, Li T, Wang B (2004) Structures and mechanisms of the northward propagating boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation*. J Clim 17:1022–1039

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang I-S, Kim D, Kug J-S (2010) Mechanism for northward propagation of boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation: convective momentum transport. Geophys Res Lett 37:24804

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang I-S, Liu F, Ahn M-S, Yang Y-M, Wang B (2013) The role of SST structure in convectively coupled Kelvin–Rossby waves and its implications for MJO formation. J Clim 26:5915–5930

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kemball-Cook S, Wang B (2001) Equatorial waves and air-sea interaction in the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation. J Clim 14:2923–2942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kikuchi K, Wang B (2009) Global perspective of the quasi-biweekly oscillation*. J Clim 22:1340–1359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiladis GN, Straub KH, Haertel PT (2005) Zonal and vertical structure of the Madden-Julian oscillation. J Atmos Sci 62:2790–2809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim H-M, Kang I-S, Wang B, Lee J-Y (2008) Interannual variations of the boreal summer intraseasonal variability predicted by ten atmosphere–ocean coupled models. Clim Dyn 30:485–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knutson TR, Weickmann KM (1987) 30–60 day atmospheric oscillations: composite life cycles of convection and circulation anomalies. Mon Weather Rev 115:1407–1436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamurti TN, Subrahmanyam D (1982) The 30–50 day mode at 850 mb during MONEX. J Atmos Sci 39:2088–2095

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lau K-M, Chan P (1986) Aspects of the 40–50 day oscillation during the northern summer as inferred from outgoing longwave radiation. Mon Weather Rev 114:1354–1367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li T, Wang B (1994) The influence of sea surface temperature on the tropical intraseasonal oscillation: a numerical study. Mon Weather Rev 122:2349–2362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Jia X, Ling J, Zhou W, Zhang C (2009) Sensitivity of MJO simulations to diabatic heating profiles. Clim Dyn 32:167–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Wang B (2012a) A conceptual model for self-sustained active-break Indian summer monsoon. Geophys Res Lett 39:L20814

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Wang B (2012b) A frictional skeleton model for the Madden-Julian oscillation*. J Atmos Sci 69:2749–2758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Wang B (2012c) A model for the interaction between 2-day waves and moist Kelvin waves*. J Atmos Sci 69:611–625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Wang B (2013a) Impacts of upscale heat and momentum transfer by moist Kelvin waves on the Madden–Julian oscillation: a theoretical model study. Clim Dyn 40:213–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Wang B (2013b) An air–sea coupled skeleton model for the Madden–Julian oscillation*. J Atmos Sci 70:3147–3156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Wang B (2014) A mechanism for explaining the maximum intraseasonal oscillation center over the Western North Pacific*. J Clim 27:958–968

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Huang G, Feng L (2012) Critical roles of convective momentum transfer in sustaining the multi-scale Madden–Julian oscillation. Theor Appl Climatol 108:471–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madden RA, Julian PR (1971) Detection of a 40–50 day oscillation in the zonal wind in the tropical Pacific. J Atmos Sci 28:702–708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madden RA, Julian PR (1972) Description of global-scale circulation cells in the tropics with a 40–50 day period. J Atmos Sci 29:1109–1123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madden RA, Julian PR (1994) Observations of the 40–50-day tropical oscillation—a review. Mon Weather Rev 122:814–837

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Majda AJ, Biello JA (2004) A multiscale model for tropical intraseasonal oscillations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 101, 4736–4741

  • Majda AJ, Stechmann SN (2009) The skeleton of tropical intraseasonal oscillations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106, 8417–8422

  • Maloney ED, Hartmann DL (1998) Frictional moisture convergence in a composite life cycle of the Madden-Julian oscillation. J Clim 11:2387–2403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maloney ED, Sobel AH, Hannah WM (2010) Intraseasonal variability in an aquaplanet general circulation model. J Adv Model Earth Syst 2:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murakami M (1984) Analysis of the deep convective activity over the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia. II: seasonal and intraseasonal variations during northern summer. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 62:88–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Rui H, Wang B (1990) Development characteristics and dynamic structure of tropical intraseasonal convection anomalies. J Atmos Sci 47:357–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobel A, Maloney E (2012) An idealized semi-empirical framework for modeling the Madden-Julian oscillation. J Atmos Sci 69:1691–1705

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobel A, Maloney E (2013) Moisture modes and the eastward propagation of the MJO. J Atmos Sci 70:187–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B (1988) Dynamics of tropical low-frequency waves: an analysis of the moist Kelvin wave. J Atmos Sci 45:2051–2065

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Liu F (2011) A model for scale interaction in the Madden-Julian oscillation*. J Atmos Sci 68:2524–2536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Rui H (1990) Dynamics of the coupled moist Kelvin-Rossby wave on an equatorial β-plane. J Atmos Sci 47:397–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Xie X (1997) A model for the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation. J Atmos Sci 54:72–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Webster PJ, Teng H (2005) Antecedents and self-induction of active-break south Asian monsoon unraveled by satellites. Geophys Res Lett 32:4704

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Huang F, Wu Z, Yang J, Fu X, Kikuchi K (2009) Multi-scale climate variability of the South China Sea monsoon: a review. Dyn Atmos Oceans 47:15–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yano J-I, Emanuel K (1991) An improved model of the equatorial troposphere and its coupling with the stratosphere. J Atmos Sci 48:377–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yasunari T (1979) Cloudiness fluctuations associated with the Northern Hemisphere summer monsoon. J Meteorol Soc Jpn 57:227–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang C (2005) Madden-Julian oscillation. Rev Geophys 42:G2003

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB955604 and 2011CB309704), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA05090402), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41275083 and 91337105). This paper is the ESMC Contribution No.012.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth System Modeling Center and Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Fei Liu

  2. Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment Research for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Gang Huang

  3. Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Gang Huang

  4. Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment of Ministry of Education, School of Geography Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Mi Yan

Authors
  1. Fei Liu
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gang Huang
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mi Yan
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gang Huang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, F., Huang, G. & Yan, M. Role of SST meridional structure in coupling the Kelvin and Rossby waves of the intraseasonal oscillation. Theor Appl Climatol 121, 623–629 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1266-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1266-0

Keywords

Profiles

  1. Gang Huang View author profile